Murder Music Performer Buju Banton Faces Drug Charges In Miami

Jim Burroway

December 12th, 2009

From the Miami Herald:

Buju BantonBuju Banton, the Jamaican reggae star whose anti-gay lyrics have drawn international criticism, is in a federal lockup in Miami, facing drug conspiracy charges.

Drug Enforcement Administration agents say Banton, real name Mark Anthony Myrie, has been in custody since Thursday and will soon be transferred to Tampa, where the U.S. Attorney is charging him with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilos of cocaine.

Buju Banton’s 1992  single, “Boom Bye Bye” calls for gay people to be shot in the head with automatic weapons, have acid poured on them, and burned “like an old tire wheel.” British LGBT Activist Peter Tatchel called the song “probably the most murderous incitement recorded by any singer anywhere in the world.” In 2007 Banton was among a number of reggae artists who signed the Reggae Compassionate Act, promising to refrain from performing homophobic songs or making homophobic statements. He later denied signing the pact, and has performed “Boom Bye Bye” since renouncing the agreement.

This past fall, Banton’s U.S. tour was marked with several concert cancellations due to protests from members of local and national LGBT groups. During the tour, Banton told a Jamaican radio station, “This is a fight, and as I said in one of my songs ‘there is no end to the war between me and faggot’ and it’s clear.” Last week, Banton’s latest album, Rasta Got Soul, earned a Grammy nomination for Best Reggae Album. In response, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) launched a petition drive calling on the Recording Academy to withdraw Banton’s nomination.

Burr

December 12th, 2009

Karma is a bitch.

Lindoro Almaviva

December 12th, 2009

well, now he will be someone’s bitch and we’ll see how he likes being treated like a batty man.

Lindoro Almaviva

December 12th, 2009

In completely unrelated news: Houston, we got a lesbian….

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091213/ap_on_el_st_lo/us_houston_mayor;_ylt=AmM9EzDqe6KwtBwuxumC1OB0fNdF

Edwin

December 12th, 2009

Hope they lock him up for ever and throw the key away. That 5 kilo will get him some big time.

AJD

December 12th, 2009

I would say deport his ass, but it’s nice to know that said ass will belong to some “batty boy” in prison.

Not that I support prison rape, but in the words of Nelson Muntz, “Ha ha!”

John

December 13th, 2009

I think the Federal Sentencing Guidelines are pretty harsh when it comes to 5 kilos of cocaine.

I would prefer that he go to jail rather than deported. If deported, he can continue to make his murder music. He won’t have the opportunity in jail.

As for the issue of prison rape, I think that our inability or unwillingness to stop this form of torture is a horrible national shame.

AJD

December 13th, 2009

John, I’m with you on the prison rape issue, but I’m inclined to feel the same way I do regarding capital punishment: I’m against the phenomenon in general, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I feel bad for the person when it happens. In the case of Buju Banton, I hope he spends 20 years in a cell with a musclebound sex addict with a 9″ penis and multiple convictions for male rape because he deserves it.

Désirée

December 13th, 2009

You want a homophobe to be locked up with a man who will repeatedly rape him thus reinforcing the homophobe’s impression of gays as predators and aggressors? Doesn’t really seem like the right tact to me.

werdna

December 13th, 2009

Sorry, but jokes about prison rape are inexcusable, whatever your feelings about the person being sent to prison.

ZRAinSWVA

December 13th, 2009

Werdna, I agree. If convicted, the punishment is time in prison–which he would deserve. Rape, however, should never, ever be condoned.

tammy

December 13th, 2009

all you who are condoning prison rape just show up how nasty americans are. this country is the beast spoken about un revelations. i strngly belive buju banton was framed. he will be just another malcom x, martin luther king, bob marley, o.j. simpson, michael jackson , lee boyd malvo, tiger woods, that your satanic country has destoyed. free buju.

Scott P.

December 13th, 2009

LOL Now, Tammy, that was honestly funny! Tiger Woods? Michael Jackson? O.J. Simpson??? An adulterer, a murderer and a pedophile. You think this country destroyed them (by the way Tiger Woods is still incredibly wealthy)? Oh, and before you scream racism, you are aware that Woods and Simpson dated and MARRIED white women, aren’t you? Each one of those three chose their method of SELF-DESTRUCTION. If you could ask each one of them which country they’d prefer to live in I’d wager they’d still say the U.S.A. And in case you didn’t read all the posts (which you obviously didn’t) most of us are repulsed by prison rape.

And can you give us one reason to believe that Banton was framed? Most of the people in power in this nation would agree with his position. Honestly, he’s a very unimportant, niche musician. why would anyone bother?

Lindoro Almaviva

December 13th, 2009

Nobody deserves to be raped, but then again, not every sexual relationship between men in prison is rape either, even if the parties are both heterosexual; I’m sure you know that.

As for BJ, he has put karma out; if that karma comes back to bite him, then that is his tragedy, not mine. Unfortunately i have lost the ability to sympathize with people who call for my murder and my rape. I do not wish it on them, but if it comes I just shrug and walk on.

Respect, sympathy and compassion are all 2-way streets: you got to give it to receive it.

Emily K

December 13th, 2009

It’s understandable if people do not feel sympathy if something happens to him in prison, but gleefully relishing in his being raped – even talking about hoping it happens – is disgusting. It makes us no better than those who wish the same on us.

Priya Lynn

December 13th, 2009

I am also apalled by people taking delight in the prospect of Banton being raped. The punishment is the prison sentence itself, no one deserves to be raped in prison, anyone calling for or saying that they don’t care if this happens is no better than Banton.

Jim Burroway

December 13th, 2009

Wow. So this is the “civil discourse” I find in the comments left overnight.

For the record, our Comments Policy strictly prohibits advocating violence. Any further comments which advocate or condone violence will be removed. Those leaving comments advocating violence will also subject to moderation.

The only reason I’m not removing comments before this one is to provide context for comments left by others.

Candace

December 13th, 2009

Hats off to the Miami and Tampa Narcotics divisions. Good work, mon.

Elliot in NY

December 13th, 2009

I’d rather he not get raped, but I do hope that he spends every waking moment in fear and anticipation of being raped.

gar

December 13th, 2009

5 kilos? Dayum.

Eddie89

December 13th, 2009

I’m certain that Banton’s defense will be that the 5 Kilos of cocaine was just for “personal” use!

Candace

December 13th, 2009

If boojoo hadn’t been so stoned on ganja all the time, he might have noticed he was being set up by DEA in that 5 kilo deal.

Oh well, you play, you pay. That’s how it works.

Jake Watson

December 14th, 2009

One of allyuh Battie Boi set him up. He sang Boom Bye Bye after a 7yr boy was raped in Jamaica.,.,

Priya Lynn

December 14th, 2009

Jake, let’s see your proof that he was set up. We don’t see any Jamaican’s calling for all heterosexuals to be murdered after a man rapes a girl, so don’t pretend its somehow justified to claim all gays are guilty if some pedophile allegedly rapes a boy (likely another fiction).

Jonathan Justice

December 14th, 2009

While it is too true that our drug laws and drug law enforcement are a great swamp of dysfunction, the chance that an innocent artist is the victim here is low enough that we should give some attention to the consideration that as with Pat Robertson and the Ugandan government, we would appear to have a case where the rhetoric of sexual morality would seem to have been used as cover for other problematical transactions. Getting caught up in revenge fantasies is way too easy exactly because it allows us to ignore the connections to how others attack us.

Jamaican_Gal

December 20th, 2009

Buju recorded the now infamous “Boom bye bye” nearly 20 years ago. At that time there was little tolerance for gays anywhere in the world. There was a general cry for their heads.

Give the guy a break. The advocates here of prison sodomy are worse than Buju, the author of an unfortunate song.

My gut instinct tells me that there is something amiss here and that BJ will eventually be exonerated.

Let’s learn to live in peace and love.

One love, y’all!

Leave A Comment

All comments reflect the opinions of commenters only. They are not necessarily those of anyone associated with Box Turtle Bulletin. Comments are subject to our Comments Policy.

(Required)
(Required, never shared)

PLEASE NOTE: All comments are subject to our Comments Policy.

 

Latest Posts

The Things You Learn from the Internet

"The Intel On This Wasn't 100 Percent"

From Fake News To Real Bullets: This Is The New Normal

NC Gov McCrory Throws In The Towel

Colorado Store Manager Verbally Attacks "Faggot That Voted For Hillary" In Front of 4-Year-Old Son

Associated Press Updates "Alt-Right" Usage Guide

A Challenge for Blue Bubble Democrats

Baptist Churches in Dallas, Austin Expelled Over LGBT-Affirming Stance

Featured Reports

What Are Little Boys Made Of?

In this original BTB Investigation, we unveil the tragic story of Kirk Murphy, a four-year-old boy who was treated for “cross-gender disturbance” in 1970 by a young grad student by the name of George Rekers. This story is a stark reminder that there are severe and damaging consequences when therapists try to ensure that boys will be boys.

Slouching Towards Kampala: Uganda’s Deadly Embrace of Hate

When we first reported on three American anti-gay activists traveling to Kampala for a three-day conference, we had no idea that it would be the first report of a long string of events leading to a proposal to institute the death penalty for LGBT people. But that is exactly what happened. In this report, we review our collection of more than 500 posts to tell the story of one nation’s embrace of hatred toward gay people. This report will be updated continuously as events continue to unfold. Check here for the latest updates.

Paul Cameron’s World

In 2005, the Southern Poverty Law Center wrote that “[Paul] Cameron’s ‘science’ echoes Nazi Germany.” What the SPLC didn”t know was Cameron doesn’t just “echo” Nazi Germany. He quoted extensively from one of the Final Solution’s architects. This puts his fascination with quarantines, mandatory tattoos, and extermination being a “plausible idea” in a whole new and deeply disturbing light.

From the Inside: Focus on the Family’s “Love Won Out”

On February 10, I attended an all-day “Love Won Out” ex-gay conference in Phoenix, put on by Focus on the Family and Exodus International. In this series of reports, I talk about what I learned there: the people who go to these conferences, the things that they hear, and what this all means for them, their families and for the rest of us.

Prologue: Why I Went To “Love Won Out”
Part 1: What’s Love Got To Do With It?
Part 2: Parents Struggle With “No Exceptions”
Part 3: A Whole New Dialect
Part 4: It Depends On How The Meaning of the Word "Change" Changes
Part 5: A Candid Explanation For "Change"

The Heterosexual Agenda: Exposing The Myths

At last, the truth can now be told.

Using the same research methods employed by most anti-gay political pressure groups, we examine the statistics and the case studies that dispel many of the myths about heterosexuality. Download your copy today!

And don‘t miss our companion report, How To Write An Anti-Gay Tract In Fifteen Easy Steps.

Testing The Premise: Are Gays A Threat To Our Children?

Anti-gay activists often charge that gay men and women pose a threat to children. In this report, we explore the supposed connection between homosexuality and child sexual abuse, the conclusions reached by the most knowledgeable professionals in the field, and how anti-gay activists continue to ignore their findings. This has tremendous consequences, not just for gay men and women, but more importantly for the safety of all our children.

Straight From The Source: What the “Dutch Study” Really Says About Gay Couples

Anti-gay activists often cite the “Dutch Study” to claim that gay unions last only about 1½ years and that the these men have an average of eight additional partners per year outside of their steady relationship. In this report, we will take you step by step into the study to see whether the claims are true.

The FRC’s Briefs Are Showing

Tony Perkins’ Family Research Council submitted an Amicus Brief to the Maryland Court of Appeals as that court prepared to consider the issue of gay marriage. We examine just one small section of that brief to reveal the junk science and fraudulent claims of the Family “Research” Council.

Daniel Fetty Doesn’t Count

Daniel FettyThe FBI’s annual Hate Crime Statistics aren’t as complete as they ought to be, and their report for 2004 was no exception. In fact, their most recent report has quite a few glaring holes. Holes big enough for Daniel Fetty to fall through.